Coming Together in the Fight Against Intimate Partner Violence: Lessons Learned From a Researcher–Practitioner Collaboration Evaluating Cincinnati’s Domestic Violence Enhanced Response Team (DVERT)

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is an insidious public health concern that affects people of all demographic backgrounds. In the city of Cincinnati, Ohio there has been a significant increase in IPV-related homicides over the past 5 years. Women Helping Women (WHW), a nonprofit organization that works to prevent gender-based violence, collaborated with Cincinnati Police Department (CPD) to create the Domestic Violence Enhanced Response Team (DVERT). Researchers from the University of Cincinnati School of Criminal Justice were invited to work with WHW to evaluate the program. This article discusses the history of the DVERT program and collaboration, obstacles that ensued, lessons learned, and successes of the relationship between the researchers, WHW, and CPD. Implications for other researchers and practitioners looking to form partnerships are discussed.